Alpena Fire Chief Bill Forbush retiring; Rob Edmonds to replace him
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ALPENA -- Change is coming to the Alpena Fire Department.
After 12 years serving as fire chief, Bill Forbush has decided to retire and hand over the reins to Assistant Fire Chief Rob Edmonds.
Forbush's last day is Dec. 15.
City Manager Rachel Smolinski selected Edmonds from several qualified candidates to replace Forbush.
Forbush moved to Alpena in 2010 when he accepted a job to replace former fire chief Ken Hubbard. Since then, he said, his goal was to create a succession plan within the department, make sure staff was well trained and properly equipped and educate and protect residents in Alpena and neighboring communities.
Forbush said he believes he has accomplished those goals and the department is on solid ground heading into the future.
"The timing for me is right because, really, my job is done and I can move on to enjoy a little more free time and do some of the things I want to do while I have the health to," he said. "My wife and I want to travel and spend some time in the Seattle area where two out of our three boys live."
Edmonds is an Alpena native who was hired into the fire department in 1996. He said Forbush's tutelage has helped him prepare for the role as chief and he is eager to continue to build on Forbush's work.
"There are so many things he has passed along to not just me, but as a department, to get us prepared for this transition," Edmonds said. "He knew when he came here he wouldn't be staying forever and that at some point you have to walk away. Everything he has done has been good for us."
Edmonds said he has a solid relationship with the staff and he suspects the transition of authority will be smooth. He said in the short-term, he intends to keep the department headed in the same direction as Forbush has, but make adjustments to operations and goals as needed.
"We're going to do this in slow steps and we'll see what needs to be adjusted and proceed from there," he said. "I think things will be par for the course to start with because we will ease into any changes we make. One thing we will continue is our excellence and service. That will not change."
Mayor Matt Waligora said Forbush has left his mark on more than the fire department. He said the contributions the chief has made in the department and away from it are extensive, but he believes Edmonds is up to the task to replace him.
"Chief Forbush has done too many incredible things to list for our community and entire region," Waligora said. "He set the bar pretty high and leaves AFD in great shape and he deserves all the best retirement can offer. I have faith in Rob to continue the established professional relationships and lead the department into the future."
Forbush said for the next several years he will remain fire chief of Presque Isle Township Fire Department, but his workload will be less than working full time in Alpena. He said once current staff in Presque Isle is trained and qualified, he will step aside from that too.
"I'll do that for another three to five years," he said. "I have some folks we are mentoring up there as well and there is a certain number of years necessary to get the certification required to be a fire chief, in that time I believe there will be one or more people who will want that responsibility and have those qualifications. At that time I'll step back and let them take the helm."
Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.